Last week I returned from
the last of the three big fitness challenges I set myself this year. In April I
ran the Rotterdam Marathon and was happy to get my PB of 3:14, still room for
improvement but good progress. A month later my close friends Simon and Tom and
I cycled form London to Brussels via Amsterdam, 330 miles in four days. We rode
well together and felt strong at the end. That bode well for the big one, four
days doing the Three Peaks of Snowdon, Scafell and Ben Nevis and cycling the
440 miles in between them. Whilst it was definitely one of the toughest things
I’ve done, we did it!

Through experiences like
these and working with so many people to help them achieve their goals, here
are the key things that I believe make the difference:

The vision – whilst these things appeared daunting,
I never waivered in my belief that I could do them. I drew on previous
experiences of similar events and knew I had the fitness and determination to
get through them.

The drive – motivation is key. This event meant a
lot to me, Tom and Simon. We were raising money for Genetic Alliance, a charity
supporting those with rare genetic conditions. Tom’s young son Dexter has one
such condition and the sense of purpose meant we were never going to let
tiredness or pain get the better of us. Personally it was something I’d had in
my head to do for a long time and I wanted to prove to myself that I could do
it.

The support – having the guys alongside me, and
Vicky doing an amazing job driving the camper van made such a difference.
Sharing experiences and having help when needed is essential for getting where
you want to go.

The preparation – whilst we certainly made
mistakes, we were well organised for the event with the right tools and gear.
We’d planned our route and whilst at times we adapted it we always knew where
we were.

The challenge – goals need to be tough enough to
motivate you but not so tough that they seem unreachable. We certainly had to
work to for it (10 hours of exercise a day) but we knew if we worked hard we’d
get there.

Compare your own goals against these and see
where you might need to make changes. If you need any help, feel free to get in touch.